Process of resurfacing fibrous materials



PROCESS OF RESURFACING FIBROUS MATERIALS.

N 0 Drawing.

1 0 all whomt may concern:

Be it known that I, RoLAND L. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Belmont, county of Middlesex, State of Massa chusetts, have invented an Improvement in Processes of Resurfacing Fibrous Materials, of which the following description is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in processes for surfacing fibrous material, more particularly leather, and the object thereof is to provide a process for producing a finished surface upon the material, or to remove the original surface and to produce a new finished surface.

More particularly, the object of the invention is to provide means for resurfacing leather and other fibrous material which has been scratched or damaged, by removing the original surface adjacent to the damaged parts and reducing the thickness of the leather, or other fibrous material to the depth of the scratch or damaged portion and so condensing and matting the remaining fibres together as to produce a new surface having a smooth and finished appearance.

The present process comprises an improvement and further development of the process disclosed in my Patent No. 1,311,188 granted July 29, 1919, which discloses a somewhat similar process for the refinishing of enamel or patent leather in which the-enamel has become marred, scratched, broken or 0therwise injured. The process disclosed in that patent consists in treating the enameled or patent leather finish with a caustic abradant carried by an .oleaginous material applied by frictional means which operates to render the molecular elements of the enamel mobile and to cause the same to flow suiiiciently to produce a new homogeneous enamel surface which merges into the original enamel surface without leaving any line of demarcation between the original surface and the surface which is treated by the process.

The present invention comprises a further development of the process aforesaid by means of which leather presenting usual surfaces may be brought to a finished appearance or where the original surface of the leather has been scratched or roughened or abraded the damaged surface may be removed and the leather ground down to the base of the scratch or roughened portion and a new surface produced by condensing and matting together the fibrous ends of the new Specification of'Letters Patent. Patented Jan, 11), 1922,

Application filed August 18, 1920. Serial N0.,403,397. 7'

surface so that it will present the appearance and in fact will be substantially the equivaleather, and heretofore it has been consid ered impracticable to endeavor to produce a new finished surface by abrading the leather for the reason that increasingly coarser fibres are encountered as abrading into the leather proceeded resulting in the production of an increasingly rough surface instead of a smooth surface. 7

By the process comprising the present invention the leather may be gradually ground down in such a manner as to reduce the proj ecting ends of the fibres composing the surface to a minimum and further in matting together such fine fibrous ends as remain in such a manner as to produce a surface which is identical with or substantially the same as the original surface of the leather.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a process for repairing'damaged shoes, and the primary object of the invention relating to this purpose conslsts in providing a process for treating the fine grain surface of the leather, such as that which appears upon the toe and heel portions of the shoe where the greatest amount of damage is likely to occur; second, to treat the coarser 'portion'of the leather, as where the grain surface is out through on such portions of the shoe as are not subject to bending action as the toe and heel portions. which are usually reinforced; and, third, to improve the appearance more or less permanently of the portions of the leather of the shoe which are subject to constant bending.

Other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and will be pointed out in the annexed claims. 7

The process comprising the present invention consists in treating the leather or the damaged surface of the leather with an abradant intimately mixed with or combined with an oleaginous material applied by a moving frictional surface traveling at a suiiicient rate of speed to create by friction an appreciable amount of heat. The composition may be applied by a buffing wheel of fibrous material, preferably cotton, traveling at a speed of 2200 to 2500 feet per minute, which is lessthan half the usual speed imparted to a buffing wheel.

A convenient type of apparatus for use in the present process is illustrated and described in my prior Patent #1,311,188, above referred to but in the employment of the present process the buiiing wheels are driven at a lower speed and the action which takes place is entirely different, so that a smooth surface is produced even when the leather is reduced in thickness to remove deep scratches or cuts which extend below the surface of the grain portion of the leather.

In the present process the leather is treated by a travelling buffing surface to which is applied a very fine abradant intimately mixed with solid oleaginous material, the composition being so compounded as to give the desired hardness and point of fusibility to produce'the desired result.

In the treatment of grain leather in which a multitude of fine fibresarc intimately interlaced, the surface is ground away gradually and. substantially all fibre ends which otherwise would project beyond the surface are worn away or reduced to aminimum so that a substantially smooth surface corresponding to the original grain surface is produced. The heat produced by the travelling surface causes the oleaginous material to be melted so that it penetrates the pores or interstices of the leather between the fibres. thus producing a smooth surface, and also causes any of the minute fibre ends which would otherwise project. to-be matted down into the surface itself.

It will of course, be understood that the melting point of the oleaginous composition is such thatit is rendered fluid at a lower temperature than that which would burn or damage the surface of the leather.

Where the process is used in treating leather in which cuts, scratches or abrasions extend through the grain. surface of the leather into the coarser portion of the leather a somewhat different and more extended action takes place. The coarser fibres of the leather are practically worn down and the ends of the fibres, which are longer than those in the fine grain portions, are frayed and matted down into the surface, which is softer. and are cemented to the renewed surface of the leather in such a manner as to produce a substantially finished surface appearance. l V hen this action takes place upon rigidly supported portions of rather, such as the toe and heel portions of the shoe the new surface will remain as permanent as the resurfaced portion of the grain leather. Where the leather, which is subject to constant flexure, is treated to re move cuts, scratches or abrasions extending through the grain portion, a surface is prcduced which will be substantially of the same appearance as the original grain sur- 1 face of the leather, but of course the repeated hending of the leather will eventually cause said surface to become slightly rough but in' any instance the refinished surfacewill not become so rough that its smooth appearance will not be restored by ordinary polishing.

The preferred materials which are used in v the composition comprise aluminum silicate as an abradant and a suitableoleaginous composition having a melting point lower than the temperature at which the leather will be damaged, and which, when incorporated in the surface of the leather, will not be easily removed by the usual treatment leather in polishing and which will be of .suiiicient softness to impart flexibility to the Certain preferred compositions which are found to be satisfactory forresurfacing black leather are proportioned as follows:

.'J=.luminum silicate of a fineness tc pass through a sieve of meshes to the Spermaceti 2 Carnauba l- 1 ounce. Lamp black"; 2 Z

Castor oillll El fluid ounce. Turpentine 5 cu. cen.

Ii. suitable compound for use in' finishing surface ofvleather treated by thecomaforesaid, and which is also useful for treatment of black leather having rehitn'eiy slight abrasions is as follows:

Aluminum silicate of a fine uses to pass through a sieve of a: e meshes to the square n inch -il 5 ounces. capermacetnlnr 2 Carnauba warm"; 1 ounce. Lamp black l -Qastor oil l; u fluid ounce.

Turpentine '5 cu. cen.

lif in the treatment of shoes by the process aroresaid the shoe is placed upon a suitable last or tree, the heat and pressure produced by the bufling wheel will cause the shoe to conform to the shape of the last at the same time the resurfacing action is taking place, thus improving the appearance of the shoe.

It will be understood that the relative proportions of the abrading material and the oleaginous material may be varied in accordance with the character of the leather or other fibrous material to be treated, orthat the fineness of the abraolant may be varied as required and that other coloring may be substituted for lamp black or thecoloring material entirely omitted, and the leather suitably colored as a separate operation.

After the leather has been treated by the process aforesaid it is desirable to treat the leather with a suitable wash or filler to produce the desired shade or to correspond with the original surface of the leather.

The present process may be employed equally well to abraded and scratched sur faces of shoes in the course of manufacture, or to shoes which have been worn. lit may also be used in repairing certain imperfections which are inherent in the leather.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A process of resurfacing fibrous mate rial which consists in treating the surface of the material with a fine. abradant intimately mixed with an oleaginous material applied by frictional means moving at such speed and under such pressure as gradually to grind down substantially all the fibers of the material to a smooth surface and simultaneously to condense and mat any remaining fiber ends into said surface.

2. A process of resurfacing leather which consists in treating the surface of the leather with a composition comprising an abradant intimately mixed with a solid oleaginous material applied by frictional means traveling at such speed as gradually to grind down the fibers to a smooth surface, impregnating the material with the oleaginous composition and simultaneously condensing and matting the fine fiber ends into said smooth surface.

r The process of re-finishing damaged leather which consists in treating the surface of the leather with a composition comprising a fine abradant intimately mixed with an oleaginous material having a melting point below the scorching temperature of the leather applied by frictional means traveling at such speed as gradually to grind down substantially all the fibers to a smooth surface and simultaneously to condense and mat down any remaining fine fiber ends into said smooth surface. I

e. The process of treating leather which consists in treating the surface of the leather with a composition comprising finely granular aluminum silicate intimately mixed with an oleaginous binder applied by frictional means traveling at a sufiicient rate of speed to heat the surface of the leather being treated and acting gradually to grind down substantially all the fibers to a smooth surface, to impregnate the renewed-surface of the leather with the material and to condense and mat together any fine fiber ends upon said surface.

5. The process of refinishing leather which consists in treating the surface of the leather by frictional means traveling at sufficient speed to heat the surface of the leather and simultaneously applying thereto a composition comprising substantially the following ingredients and proportions- Aluminum si1icate 5 ounces. Spermaceti 2 ounces.

Castor Oi1. a} fluid ounce. Carnauba wax 1 ounce. Turpentine 5 cubic centimeters.

6. A process of resurfacing damaged leather shoes which consists in placing the shoe upon a last and treating the damaged surface of the shoe with a composition comprising a fine abradant intimately mixed with a solid oleaginous material applied by frictional means under pressure moving at a speed which will render a portion of the composition sufliciently fluid to impregnate the renewed surface of the leather, thereby increasing the pliability of the leather and acting simultaneously to produce a renewed smooth surface and to cause the part of the shoe being treated to conform to the shape of the portion of the last upon which it is supported.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

- ROLAND L. SMITH. 

